The Video Filming Process

Pre-Production

Throughout the pre-production period, Visual Impact Productions will take the problem off your desk and carefully project manage the entire process. In order for them to do this, they will have to be provided with a concise brief that clearly states your intentions for the project, including:

Who is the intended audience for the training video?

What are the objectives of the training video?

What are the key training messages?

How is the training video likely to be used?

Who and what needs to be filmed and where?

What format will the programme be delivered in – CD ROM, DVD or web clips?

Once we have taken your brief and you are happy with our creative proposal, we will formulate a scope and project plan to outline all the key stages of production, including who is responsible for each activity.

Production

The ‘production’ defines the actual filming of the video and, depending on the number of locations, is usually the shortest phase of the process. From travelling to multiple locations across a number of countries to a simple one day city shoot, good pre-production will have ensured a smooth production period.

Probably the most important aspect of the video production process is the filming. It is the pictures that tell the story and so if the script or the interviewees are discussing a subject, then that subject should appear in vision as “cutaway” material. Any spare time on a training video filming day should be used to capture good video cutaway material to add to the programme.

If the video production requires us to interview someone, particularly someone who is key to the programme, they will want to make the interview look as good as possible. We will therefore need to have access to the interviewee’s office or a conference room at least one hour before the interview is scheduled in order to create the set and light the room. It is also important that the room chosen for the interview does not suffer from background noise such as a lift, canteen or busy road.

Post-Production

The post-production period is often the most exciting part of the training video production process as you can begin to see the programme come to life.
The first stage will involve a rough ‘edit for content’. This is to ensure you are completely satisfied with the narrative of the programme and that all the key messages have been satisfactorily addressed. Having approved the rough edit, we will then begin to fine tune the training video, adding graphics, cutaway material and grading the footage to give the required aesthetic appeal. Once this has been completed, you will be invited to view the programme again so that any final changes can be made.

At this phase of the production process the signed off programme can be encoded to your preferred format including DVD or internet movie files.